Transcript
Speaker: Hi guys, it's Jamie Calabrese with Light at the End.
Speaker: Today I want to offer some exercises for you to try when you're feeling overwhelmed by the wave of emotions that come with this territory.
Speaker: In the episode with Jackie Shablowski, we discussed an array of self-care tools, and I encourage you to listen to that full episode if you haven't already.
Speaker: But today I want you to be able to just try a couple of these tools on for size and see if
Speaker: They work for you in the moment.
Speaker: And so instead of listening to a full episode and having to dig this out, I am just going to offer a couple of tools right here, right now.
Speaker: The first thing I want to talk about is stimulating your vagus nerve.
Speaker: The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in our nervous system.
Speaker: Some cranial nerves have either sensory or motor function, but the vagus nerve has both.
Speaker: It sends signals connecting your brain to your heart, lungs, and digestive system, and it's associated with mood.
Speaker: By stimulating the vagus nerve, you can head off a panic attack.
Speaker: According to mind.org, stimulating the vagus nerve lowers blood pressure, decreases heart rate, reduces the body's response to stress, and improves digestion.
Speaker: Here are some easy ways to stimulate your vagus nerve.
Speaker: The first way is taking deep belly breaths.
Speaker: Your exhale should be twice as long as your inhale.
Speaker: So for instance, inhale for two, breathe out for four, inhale for three, out for six.
Speaker: You can even extend this to four and eight.
Speaker: As I'm doing the deep breathing exercises, I like to imagine breathing in through my belly button and then bringing that breath all the way through and out through my forehead.
Speaker: This helps to give you a full belly breath with the visualization.
Speaker: So let's give it a try together.
Speaker: You're just going to be seated, feet on the floor.
Speaker: You can really do this anywhere.
Speaker: In for two.
Speaker: Out for four.
Speaker: In through your nose for two.
Speaker: Out through your mouth for four.
Speaker: And as I said, you can extend these to three and six, four and eight.
Speaker: Do as many as you need to until you feel yourself calm down until you feel your heart rate slow.
Speaker: Another simple thing you can do to stimulate your vagus nerve is to cough.
Speaker: Big, loud coughs.
Speaker: Cough, cough, cough, cough.
Speaker: Similarly, you can take a sip of water and gargle loudly.
Speaker: Both of these things stimulate the vocal cords, which in turn stimulate the vagus nerve.
Speaker: And then lastly, if you've had a panic attack before and feel one coming on, you start feeling that lightheadedness or your heart is starting to race, here is an instant stimulator.
Speaker: Get a large bowl of ice water and dunk your faith.
Speaker: AlliedServices.org says to immerse your forehead, eyes, and at least two-thirds of both cheeks into cold water.
Speaker: You can do this, of course, come up and take breaths as you're comfortable.
Speaker: Relax putting your face in that ice-cold water, and it will stimulate that vagus nerve instantly and bring you down.
Speaker: There are several other ways to stimulate your vagus nerve.
Speaker: Ear massage, chest tapping,
Speaker: I recommend watching a video to ensure that you're doing these correctly.
Speaker: You can look up stimulating vagus nerve and find a ton of suggestions for them.
Speaker: The other exercise I would like to share is the five senses practice.
Speaker: This practice has been recommended by many people for, again, anxiety, stress.
Speaker: This practice grounds you in your body and brings your mind into the present moment.
Speaker: It can also help calm that storm and hopefully keep you from moving into a full-on panic attack.
Speaker: It's super simple.
Speaker: Again, you can do it anytime or any place.
Speaker: You just need to be where you won't be interrupted for a couple of minutes.
Speaker: So if that's walking into another room, sitting in your car, what you're going to do is sit up in the chair.
Speaker: You don't want to be laying down for this one.
Speaker: Feet on the ground, eyes closed.
Speaker: I'm happy to walk you through it now.
Speaker: Get comfortable, sit up in your chair, close your eyes, and here we go.
Speaker: Go ahead and take a couple of those breaths to center yourself.
Speaker: So in for two, out for four, in for two, out for four,
Speaker: And now I want you to really listen and hear all of the sounds that you can around you.
Speaker: In addition to my voice, what do you hear right now?
Speaker: Do you hear the fan whirling?
Speaker: Do you hear a car driving by?
Speaker: Do you hear people talking in the other room?
Speaker: What big sounds, small sounds do you hear
Speaker: What do you hear right now?
Speaker: Now we're checking in with our sense of touch.
Speaker: You feel your feet on the ground.
Speaker: You feel your seat in the chair.
Speaker: You feel your hands.
Speaker: Maybe they're cool.
Speaker: Maybe they're a little sweaty.
Speaker: Your clothing.
Speaker: Is there something itchy?
Speaker: You want to go ahead and itch that.
Speaker: What are the big sensations and what are the little tiny things that you feel?
Speaker: Even with your eyes closed, you can see something right now.
Speaker: Maybe you just see darkness if you're in a darker room.
Speaker: If you're in a brighter room, you see some light filtering through.
Speaker: Maybe you see your eyelashes or the little cells that
Speaker: in front of your eyes, moving around so slightly.
Speaker: What is it that you see?
Speaker: Next, what do you smell?
Speaker: Was there a candle burning?
Speaker: Was there something cooking?
Speaker: Is it a bad odor?
Speaker: There's no judgment.
Speaker: We're just checking in if you smell something right now.
Speaker: What is it that you smell?
Speaker: And maybe it's a lack of smell.
Speaker: Maybe you don't really smell anything at all, but you are just checking in with that sense of smell.
Speaker: And finally, what do you taste?
Speaker: Did you just eat something?
Speaker: Did you brush your teeth?
Speaker: Is there a lingering taste in your mouth?
Speaker: Maybe it's more of just a sensation.
Speaker: Is your mouth dry?
Speaker: really damp right now after taking a drink of something?
Speaker: Is there no taste at all?
Speaker: Checking in with your taste.
Speaker: And then what you want to do is layer these senses all together.
Speaker: So a check-in to what you hear.
Speaker: What do you feel?
Speaker: What do you see?
Speaker: What do you smell?
Speaker: What do you taste?
Speaker: One more time through being completely present in our own bodies.
Speaker: What do you hear?
Speaker: What do you feel?
Speaker: What do you see?
Speaker: What do you smell?
Speaker: And what do you taste?
Speaker: Just lingering here for another moment or two.
Speaker: Normal breathing.
Speaker: Being fully present in your body, being fully present in the room, in the moment.
Speaker: And then you're going to slowly open your eyes and feel yourself come into a more relaxing state.
Speaker: I hope that these practices bring you some peace and ease.
Speaker: Do you have a favorite practice you would like to share?
Speaker: Please email me at jamie, no E, at lightattheendpod.com.
Speaker: Thank you for joining today and take good care.
